1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for winding and re-winding reusable bandages such as gauze, elastic compression bandages and cotton bandages and, more particularly, to machines, device and apparatus and methods for re-winding elongated leg wraps (i.e., polo-wraps, etc.) commonly used for wrapping the legs and/or ankles of horses.
2. Background of related Art
It has been a long standing practice for handlers of horses to use elongated bandages or the like to wrap the legs of horses in order to protect the horse's legs during certain activities. The bandages or “wraps” (i.e., polo-wraps) typically used for this purpose are relatively long strips of cloth material which may have a certain amount of resiliency, yieldability or stretch so that the bandage may be wrapped, in a spiral fashion, around a leg of a horse to fit snuggly over the irregular leg contour. Bandages used for this purpose are often about a few inches wide (e.g., 4 or 5 inches) and may be about several feet long (e.g., 8 feet) so as to furnish enough length for wrapping an adequate distance along the leg of the horse.
These bandages are reused many times. Accordingly, in order to properly and easily wrap a horses leg with these bandages it is preferred that the bandages be in a rolled condition (i.e., in a relatively uniformly wound cylindrical shape or roll). These bandages are applied to the horse's legs when the horse is standing. Thus, it is more practical and easier for the bandages to be in a rolled condition when they are wrapped on to the horse's leg.
Since it is preferred and practical for the bandages to be wrapped onto the horse's legs while initially in a rolled condition, a great deal of time and effort is devoted to the task of winding the bandages into a roll following each use thereof.
Typically and in practicality, bandages of this type may not be and are not wound into a cylindrical roll at a designated location or site. These bandages are usually kept in relatively close proximity to the stall where the particular horse with which they are used is stabled. Additionally, it is impractical to carry the bandages to a designated location for winding, especially when the bandages are applied to the horse's legs immediately before the horse is to be exercised in an integral step of the grooming sequence which must be carried out in the stall location.
Accordingly, a need exists for a winding device which overcomes the drawbacks mentioned above and which accomplishes the objects detailed herein.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present disclosure to provide machines, device and/or apparatus for re-rolling relatively long, narrow bandages such as leg wraps or polo-wraps which overcomes the foregoing noted drawbacks.
In the achievement of this objective, the present disclosure provides a winding apparatus requiring no fixed installation or no attachment to a fixed structure, wherein the winding apparatus may be readily used at any location.
The present disclosure further provides a winding apparatus which may be operated with a single hand.
The present disclosure further provides a winding device which utilizes a winding peg which remains in the wound bandage following winding thereof and which facilitates application of the bandage to a horse's leg.
Additional objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent from the description or can be learned by practice of the present disclosure. The advantages of the present disclosure can be realized and obtained by the apparatus particularly pointed out in the appended claims.